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The differences between manufacturing project engineers and senior project engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a manufacturing project engineer, becoming a senior project engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a senior project engineer has an average salary of $97,803, which is higher than the $82,447 average annual salary of a manufacturing project engineer.
The top three skills for a manufacturing project engineer include project management, lean manufacturing and capital projects. The most important skills for a senior project engineer are project management, construction management, and CAD.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,447 | $97,803 |
| Hourly rate | $39.64 | $47.02 |
| Growth rate | 10% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 70,267 | 146,838 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A manufacturing project engineer specializes in designing and developing a variety of equipment and systems, ensuring compliance with the industry's laws and standards. It is their duty to determine and identify the needs of every project, conceptualize plans, coordinate with staff and other experts, create prototypes and test structures, and develop guidelines. They may also provide technical support, assess existing systems, and implement solutions when necessary. Furthermore, they must maintain an active communication line with the workforce while implementing the facility's safety policies and regulations.
A senior project engineer is responsible for monitoring the project team's overall process and operations from conceptualization until completion, ensuring the adherence to the clients' specifications, within the budget's goals, and the required deadline. Senior project engineers regularly communicate with the client regarding updates or necessary adjustments. They develop strategic procedures to finish the project efficiently by running diagnostic tests and troubleshooting discrepancies. A senior project engineer must have excellent communication and leadership skills to handle the team's performance and provide assistance when necessary.
Manufacturing project engineers and senior project engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,447 | $97,803 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $113,000 | Between $77,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fremont, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Cirrus Aircraft | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Education | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a manufacturing project engineer and a senior project engineer in terms of educational background:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Mechanical Engineering | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northwestern University | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between manufacturing project engineers' and senior project engineers' demographics:
| Manufacturing Project Engineer | Senior Project Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 84.4% Female, 15.6% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.7% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 12.7% White, 66.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 3.2% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 14.8% White, 69.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 4% | 5% |